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(No Model.) R. A.BULKLEY.

PACKING STEAM JOINTS. No. 287,416. Patented Oct. 30, 1883.

' UNITED. STATES PATENT .OFFIGE.

ROSALVO A. BULKLEY, OF ODESSA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND\VILLIAM A. COOPER, OF SAME PLACE.

PACKING STEAM-JOINTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of ietters Patent No. 287,416, dated October30, 1883.

Application filedJune 11, 1883. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROSALVO A. BULKLEY, of Odessa, in the county ofSchuyler, State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Processes of Packing the Joints of Steam-Pipes, of whichthe following is a description, sufficiently full, clear, and exact toenable any person skilled in the art or science to which said inventionappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is an isometrical perspective View designed to illustrate onefeature of the invention; Fig. 2, a'vertical transverse sectionrepresenting a pipe-j oint packed by my improved process, and Fig. 3 aview of the packing-ring detached.

Like letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in the differentfigures ofthe drawings.

My invention relates more especially to means for packing that class ofsteam-pipe joints which are-provided with flanges, and it consists,essentially, in placing a packing-ring composed of porous wood betweenthe flanges of the pipes, submitting it to the action of steam, andmanipulating or treating it as hereinafter more fully set forth andclaimed, by which'a simpler, cheaper, and more effective packing of thischaracter is produced than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understoodby all con versant with such matters from the following explanation, itsextreme simplicity rendering an. elaborate description unnecessary.

In the drawings, A B represent the steampipes, and G D their respectivecouplingflanges, which are connected in the usual manner by the bolts Hand nuts E. A packingring, G, cut across the grain from athin strip ofporous wood, preferably soft dry white wood or poplar, and fromone-eighth to three-quarters of an inch in thickness, or in accordancewith the size of the pipes, is introduced between the flanges O D, whichare then caused to firmly grasp or clamp the ring by turning the nuts Eonto the bolts H to their fullest extent. Steam is then let into thepipes A B, from which it passes freely through the porous body of thering, the steam and water of condensation acting to soften it and enableit to be still further compressed between the flanges by the nuts andbolts, the nuts being turned down from time to time as far as possiblewhile the ring is under the action of the steam, until its pores areentirely closed and no more steam or water can pass through it. Afterthe ring has been submitted to the action of the steam until it isthoroughly softened, and the flanges have been caused to compress it bymeans of the nuts and bolts until its pores are entirely closed, theheat of the steam will rapidly harden it or bring it to a consistencyresembling that of horn, in which condition it is substantiallyimpervious to both steam and water and indestructible by steam-heat ofsuch a temperature as would readily destroy ordinary rubber or leatherpacking.

It will be obvious that where my improved 7;) process of packing isemployed there will be no necessity of facing or turning down theflanges, as the packing-ring,before being hardened by the heat of thesteam, will readilyv yield to any inequalities of surface, and thus tendto produce a tight joint.

It will also be obvious that the improvement is equally well adapted forpacking the heads of steam-chests, the man-holes in steamboilers, &c.;also,for packing the joints of hotwater pipes, or any pipe having aflange and conveying hot water or steam, and I therefore do not confinemyself to its use for packing the jointsof steam-pipes exclusively.

From the foregoing it will be seen that compressing the ring graduallyor from time to time while under the action of steam and un til itbecomes thoroughly hardened forms a leading-feature of my invention.

In Fig. 1 a piece of the uncompressed wood from which the ring is madeis represented as projecting beyond the flanges O D, as shown at m, thecomparative degree of compression being shown at a. g

It will also be obvious that the rings of any required size may bereadily cut by dies, or in any other convenient manner from strips orboards of the required thickness; also, that a great saving will beeffected by the use of this improvement over the ordinary methods I00 ofpacking, both as to first cost and durability. ring to the action ofsteam, and while under 10 Having thus explaiiied my invention, what theaction of steamandsoftened thereby screw- I claim is-- ing the flangesstill closer together until the The improved process of packing theflanged pores of the ring are closed and it is hardened 5 joints ofsteam-pipes herein described, the by the heat, substantially as setforth.

same consisting, essentially, in placing a pack- ROSALVO A. BULKLEY.ing-ring composed of soft porous Wood be- Witnesses: tween the fiang( s,screwing the flanges together THEODORE F. HAGER,

to firmly clamp the ring, then submitting the MENZO D. BULKLEY.

